I just learned that DOWN THE OWLHOOT TRAIL didn’t win a Spur Award – that’s the Western Writers of America awards. I’d entered several of the short stories, and I’ll […]
writing
5 Tips for Anthologies
Got word of a new anthology coming out in the Wolf Creek series – they’ve thrown open the submissions to anyone within the Western Fictioneers, so I’m going to see […]
10 Basics for Writing Success
I’ve been writing for nearly thirty years now, and I think that qualifies me to give out a little advice. Here are a few of the tips and tricks I’ve […]
A New Year
“Today is the first page of a 365-page book — write a good one.” Didn’t get a source for that quote, but I saw it floating around the internet yesterday […]
Read Your Way to Good Writing
There are a lot of “You know you’re a writer when–” sayings out there. You’ve all seen them. There’s one more you might not have seen: You know you’re a […]
Naming Your Characters
Once you’ve created that perfect character, you have to name him or her. This can be a challenge to many writers, especially once you’ve gotten a few hundred characters on […]
Advice from the Tony Hillerman Conference
I’ve spent a lovely three days hob-nobbing with other authors and attending writing panels. Here are some gems from the classes. The day I stop learning about my characters is […]
5 Plot Tips
Having trouble thinking of plots? Twisted around when it comes to twists? Here are some tips and tricks to help you solve your problems. Brainstorm. This is the number one […]
4 Tips For Self-Editing
This is courtesy of Michael Stackpole’s lecture at Dragoncon. First, remember that you are not editing as you go along. As Stackpole says, “first, dig the hole” – get the […]
5 Dialogue Tips
For some writers, dialogue flows easily onto the page; for others, it’s an agonizing battle to find just the right words. Here are some tips for writing convincing dialogue. Know […]